100% Garnacha de Aragón, the oldest clone of Garnacha (Grenache) in the world. Garnacha (Grenache) was first cultivated in this northeastern corner of Spain and transferred across the Mediterranean by the Kingdom of Aragón.

ClimateExtreme continental, with drastic temperature swings between day and night. Extremely low levels of precipitations. Drought years are not uncommon.

WinemakingHand-harvested and stored in small 20 kg boxes. Primary fermentation takes place in 2.5-5 T open top fermenters. The wine is transferred to neutral (up to eight year old) French oak puncheons and demi-muids (500-600 L barrels, respectively) for malolactic fermentation and ageing.

Ageing15 months sur lie in up to eight year old French oak puncheons and demi-muids (500-600L barrels, respectively).

An authentic, natural, and traditional wine produced from the original Garnacha, which was first cultivated in Aragón in the 7th Century, and spread around Europe by the Medieval Kingdom of Aragón. Calatayud produces a unique expression of Garnacha due to its geographic and climactic conditions. As Spain's highest altitude region for the production of Garnacha, the temperature swings are radical - up to 60°F in the summer. This produces wines with deep color and character, as well as lively acidity. The wine is characterized by aromas of ripe black fruit, overlaid with spices such as black pepper. There is an obvious minerality to the wine, proceeding from vineyards’ diverse range of soil types. The soils range from iron rich red slate and clay to black slate.

Bodegas Breca

Located in the sleepy town of Munébrega, Bodegas Breca was founded by Jorge Ordóñez in 2010 with the mission of producing the finest Garnacha in Aragón. Garnacha de Aragón, the clone used to produce the wines of Bodegas Breca, is the most ancient and genetically untouched clone of of Garnacha (Grenache) in the world. Garnacha was first cultivated in this northeastern corner of Spain, and transplanted across the Mediterranean by the medieval Kingdom of Aragón, which had territories across the Mediterranean.

D.O. Calatayud has a very unique, extreme terroir. The combination of radical altitudes, diverse slate soils, and drastic climate combine to create a completely unique mesoclimate. As Spain's highest region for the production of Garnacha, Calatayud frequently sees temperature swings of 45˚F between day and night. In our mountainside vineyards (2600-3500ft.), our vines are oftentimes exposed to 40-100˚F diurnal temperature swings in the summer. The heat allows the grapes to achieve full phenolic ripeness, and the cool nights build high acidity in the grapes. Due to its long vegetative cycle, Garnacha requires a relatively dry, hot climate to reach proper phenolic ripeness. The cold nights, dawn, and dusk, combined with a variety of slate dominant soils, allow the grapes to reach high levels of acidity. Our head trained vineyards were planted between 1900 and 1975, and as with all of the Grupo Jorge Ordóñez vineyards, they are dry farmed. These conditions produce exceptionally balanced wines with ageing potential due to their concentration and acidity.Garnacha, most famous internationally for its French name Grenache, is a grape cultivar that was most originally planted in the Kingdom of Aragón in the northeast of Spain during the Middle Ages. Transplanted across the Mediterranean by the Aragonese, who had holdings in southern France and Italy, the original Garnacha evolved into more productive clones now planted in Southern France – the same clones that are famous for the very aromatic, lighter body and color wines that they produce. The most widely planted red grape in the world, the vast majority of the Grenache plantings are of these more modern, unauthentic clones on trellis. However, in present day Aragón, it is still possible to find vineyards of these old clones planted up to a century ago in decomposed iron rich red and black slate soils."Jorge Ordóñez pioneered the introduction of Garnacha into the United States in the 1990s, when Garnacha was the most widely planted grape in Spain. At the time, however, all of the Spanish red wines available in the American market were Tempranillo dominant. Jorge recognized the quality of the old vine plantings of Garnacha and and the wines they produced, and exposed the United States to these sensational wines.

Great at price, good for dinners and guests

"Not especially complex but totally pleasant. Not a wrong note anywhere. Heavy on the alcohol at 15.5%."